The trailer for Michael's new movie comes out Tuesday, which meant he gave another interview last week. A nice long one! Link

I submitted a question via twitter: which scene has he found most challenging as an actor? His answer was the scene in "Tempest" where Lex & Lionel confront each other while the mansion falls down around them. Michael couldn't get his lines right, was frustrated, until JG took him aside and said "Now, Son..." (JG called him "Son" even off camera.) "What aren't you doing?" And Michael realized that if he could just calm himself down & listen to John, he'd nail the scene, and he did.

A few more excerpts!

Michael tells the story of director David Nutter showing him scenes they’d just shot from the pilot of Smallville.Michael: “He played the opening of the pilot and then the scene with me where the car falls off the bridge and Clark rescues Lex and I had a tear in my eye….it was the first time I didn’t mind looking at myself on film.”

His reaction to shooting the Smallville Pilot.Michael: “It’s usually personality that’s gotten me where I am. I never considered myself “Wow, look at that handsome hunk walking down the street.” I never was that guy obviously. So then I shaved my head, and I had this big Matrix nodule thing on the back of my head, this nodule or whatever. So I’m like, wow, this is a pout, I’m standing here next to this six foot five hunk of a man model, Tom Welling and I’m like, where do I fit? There’s this beautiful Asian girl here…oh my god, they’re ALL pretty people!”

"And then I realized that Lex doesn’t have to be a hunk, does he? And I just stuck to my guns. I remember after the pilot though, I still thought I was going to be fired. At least, I got a pay cheque!"

Asked about directing the SV episode “Freak”:Q: “Were the actors instantly responsive?”Michael: “You have to prove yourself. It was day one. I had to get performances, it was the biggest scene of the episode: Allison Mack, I had to have in tears; Tom’s intense. I could tell they were supportive. And then the next day, I took in some of the dailies “Watch this little scene right here" and I think their eyes sparkled: "Oh, he’s really looking out for us.” And when you get their trust, you can really do anything.”

Michael cuddles a football trophy

He also recently visited a restaurant and the owner made the cutest collage!